The Best Things To Do in Malawi

Malawi is perhaps, my favourite country (in the world) to backpack in.

I first visited Malawi in 2009, but I really fell in love with this friendly, beautiful place when I worked there as a tour guide in 2012 and again when I backpacked there in late 2017.

Now I run my own tours in Malawi with Rock My Adventure and love going back at every opportunity.

It has everything you could want, from lakes to mountains, to safaris and even beaches – which, for a landlocked country is pretty impressive.

Here are my recommendations for the best things to do in Malawi and reasons why this gorgeous country should be on your Africa bucket list!

Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate sales help with the running costs of this site, so thank you for your support!

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The Best Things To Do in Malawi

Chill Out on Lake Malawi

With tides and beaches, Lake Malawi looks more like an ocean than a lake and is the heartbeat of the country. Lake Malawi was nicknamed the ‘Lake of Stars’ by Dr David Livingstone, and it really is. But the name isn’t anything to do with the stars in the sky, the ‘stars’ refer to the twinkling lanterns used by the fishermen when they fish at night. It’s a very pretty sight!

The two places I’ve stayed on Lake Malawi are Kande Beach and Nkhata Bay (in the north) and Chembe Village in Cape Maclear (in the south). Kande Beach caters mostly for the overland crowd, whilst Nkhata Bay and Cape Maclear tend to be more for the independent traveller.

All of these places have a laidback beach vibe and ‘interesting’ characters who’ll no doubt try and braid your hair or sell you excursions, clothing, crafts and some ‘Malawi Gold’.

There are also tons of activities to keep you occupied too, like horse riding, kayaking and scuba. Lake Malawi is home to more species of freshwater fish than any other lake in the entire world, including some you won’t find anywhere else, it is a great place for scuba diving. The lake is also part of the Great Rift Valley, so you’ll also be treated to some spectacular underwater scenery.

Play Swiss Family Robinson on Your Own Island

If you fancy playing Swiss Family Robinson for a few nights, then you might want to kayak over to one the private islands in on Lake Malawi.

Mumbo Island is the more upmarket of the two with the slightly fancier facilities, but Domwe Island is pretty gorgeous as well, you just cook your own food there in the self-catering kitchen (or they can provide a chef).

Spend your days relaxing on the beach, kayaking or snorkelling around the shore.

At night you can see the ‘stars’ twinkling on the water and hear the light chatter of the fishermen drifting in from the lake, which made me feel like I was a character in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Dance the Night Away at a Festival

Each September, Malawi plays home to one of Africa’s best music festivals, the Lake of Stars.

The festival usually takes place in a different location each year, on the southern shores of Lake Malawi and each year it gets better and better, hosting some of the biggest names in African music and some from elsewhere.

I attended in 2018, when the headliners were Sauti Sol and Major Lazer! It was so much fun! Expect an eclectic mix of travellers and locals.

There’s also the Sand Music Festival and the Tumaini Festival – Dzaleka Refugee Camp – a totally unique experience. I’ve been to the Sand Festival and it was a lot of fun, and I hear great things about Tumaini.

Definitely one of my favourite things to do in Malawi.

Go on Safari in Liwonde National Park

Malawi national parks aren’t as well known than the other national parks in Southern or East Africa, but there are some really great ones and they’re much less crowded.

Liwonde National Park, in the south, is my favourite and should be on your Malawi radar. The park sits on the Shire River so you have the option to travel by boat or by land – we did both.

Like any safari, animal sighting can be varied, but the guides are amazing at finding them and within moments we were within metres of a beautiful herd of elephants.

There are no big cats currently present (so I believe) in the park, but as well as the elephants, hippo, antelopes, crocodiles and birds in abundance.

Other parks to consider are Majete Wildlife Reserve (home to the Big 5), Kuti Wildlife Reserve and Nyika National Park.

Hike Mount Mulanje

Formidable Mount Mulanje, also known as the Mulanje Massive, stands at 3,002 metres tall, and whilst it’s not as high as Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Kenya, it’s still a challenging trek, with different routes available, ranging from relatively easy to pretty difficult.

We also camped on and hiked around the Zomba Massif. Here you’ll find some spectacular views and it’s a great place for bird watching.

Take the Ilala Ferry

The Ilala Ferry is legendary in Malawi. It’s not the most comfortable or efficient method of transport, but it is an incredible experience that should definitely be on your radar if you are travelling to Malawi.

My friend Melissa and I took the ferry from Nkhata Bay to Nkhotakota and it was one of the best worst travel experiences of my life. I wrote about the experience, including an Ilala Ferry Survival Guide that you have to read if you plan on making this trip.

Shop Til you Drop

Malawi is THE best place in Africa to get your hands on the gorgeous hardwood carvings you’ll see all over the African continent and there are plenty of curio markets where you can pick up a bargain. I bought one of the famous Malawi chairs in Kande Beach which now sits proudly in my living room at home as a constant reminder of my adventures there. My chair cost me $20, a wind-up radio and a pen.

If it’s pottery you’re after, the town of Dedza is the place and it’s also home to the Chongoni Rock Art UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you like art, there’s plenty of great local batik paintings to be found everywhere too! Another fun souvenir is the traditional Bao board game that you’ll see people playing all over the country.

Another favourite thing of mine to do is get some clothes made! There are tailors in most towns, and they usually have an array of lovely chitenge material to choose from. You could either get a traditional African outfit made, get them to copy one of your own items or take in a picture from a magazine.

Catch the Sunsets

They say that no two sunsets are ever the same and Malawi has some of the best of them.

In fact, the word ‘Malawi’ actually means ‘Flames of Fire’ in the local Chichewa language. I saw some of the most spectacular and unusual sunsets I’ve ever seen in Malawi.

And, they’re all free!

Explore the Cities

African cities (Cape Town aside) aren’t always my favourite places to be, they can be hectic, full of traffic jams and a little bit intimidating. But Lilongwe and Blantyre just seem a little more chilled than most.

Spend a day or so having a wander around, go to the markets, stock up on goodies from Shoprite (Cadbury’s Top Deck, Mrs H. S. Balls Chutney, Parmalat Cheese), sample the restaurants and book your onward travel.

In Blantyre stop by colonial Mandala House, the oldest building in Malawi. You can get a piece of cake in the cafe, chill in the garden, read about the history or browse the art in the gallery. In Lilongwe visit the Born Free Foundation at the Malawi Wildlife Trust and don’t forget to sample some of the local staple food, nsima and drink some of the excellent local tea and coffee whilst you’re there!

Make Some Malawian friends

Malawians are known for their friendliness, and because of this the country is nicknamed the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’. I can vouch for this!

In Kenya and Tanzania for instance, whilst almost everyone you meet is friendly, I have on occasions experienced some hostility towards visitors, but I’ve never seen that in all my time in Malawi. You’ll make friends in no time.

I met a guy in Livingstonia and was invited to his sister’s dowry celebration, as you can see above. It is one of my fondest travel memories to date.

So, there you have it, my list of the best things to do in Malawi. So my advice is – do yourself a favour and go to Malawi before everybody catches on.

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Other Malawi posts you might enjoy…

• An Awesome Malawi Itinerary (Plus Map, Tips & Things To Do)
• The Ilala Ferry – My Best Worst Journey Ever
• 10 Fun Things To Do in Malawi
• My Complete Africa Packing List (Plus FREE Africa Packing Checklist)
• The Hazy Beauty of Liwonde National Park
• The Best Places for Safari in Southern Africa
• 16 of Africa’s Most Incredible Hiking Destinations

Join one of my Malawi group tours or buy my Backpacking Africa e-book!

Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate sales help with the running costs of this site, so thank you for your support!